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#PORTS  – The operator of Birkenhead Docks at Twelve Quays Terminal, says it is confident it will recover the business it lost when DFDS Seaways closed down ferry operations last year, according to a report in today's Liverpool Daily Post.

Birkenhead Port, part of the Peel Group, says overall tonnage for the year to March stood at 3.2m tonnes – down 3% on the previous year. It said the fall was due to DFDS's decision to shut its Birkenhead-Dublin routes in January, 2011 (click HERE).

In accounts newly filed at Companies House, Birkenhead Port said business for the first ten months of the year had been strong. But it said that, in the final quarter, ongoing growth on its Belfast route was "more than offset by the loss of all Dublin volume".

It added: "While, in the short term, the loss of the DFDS business will adversely impact revenues and overall financial result, in the medium term the directors are confident that the company will recover this lost business as we look to contract with another operator at this flagship, purpose-built roll-on, roll-off facility."

It said that, with Stena Line axing its Fleetwood-Larne service, Birkenhead could attract more business to its Belfast route.

Published in Ports & Shipping

As an island economy, a healthy maritime sector is key to our national competitiveness. Virtually all our imports and exports pass through Irish ports.

Ireland is dependent on ports and shipping services to transport goods and 90% of our trade is moved though Irish ports. Shipping and maritime transport services make a significant contribution to Ireland’s ocean economy, with the sector generating €2.3 billion in turnover and employing over 5,000 people in 2018.

Ireland’s maritime industry continues to grow and progress each year with Irish ports and shipping companies making significant investments. The ports sector in Ireland is currently undergoing a number of expansions and developments with Dublin Port’s Alexandra Basin development, the development of Ringaskiddy in Cork by Port of Cork and the development of Shannon Foynes Port. Along with these major investments, shipping companies are also investing heavily in new tonnage, with Irish Ferries, CLdN and Stena leading new build programmes.

These pages cover the following sectoral areas: shipowners, harbour authorities, shipbrokers, freight forwarders and contractors, cruise liner operators, port users, seamen, merchants, academic institutions, shipyards and repair facilities, naval architects, navy and defence personnel.

Our pages are covering some of the most notable arrivals around our coast and reporting too on port development and shipping news.

This section of the site deals with Port and Shipping News on our largest ports Dublin Port, Port of Cork, the Shannon Estuary, Galway Harbour and Belfast Lough.

A recent study carried out for the Irish Ports Association (IPA) totalled 75.7 billion during 2004 and their net economic impact was some 5.5 billion supporting around 57, 500 full time employees.

Liam Lacey, Director of the Marine Institute’s Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) said, “The Irish maritime industry can look to the future with confidence. It has shown itself to be resilient and agile in responding to challenges. Over the past decade, it has had to respond to the challenges of the financial crisis of 2008, the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and recent challenges. Ireland’s maritime sector has continued to underpin our economy by maintaining vital shipping links for both trade and tourism.”